“But you cannot be renominated for Governor, and you are going to be nominated for Vice-President,” was the retort Platt claims to have made.
“I cannot be renominated?” queried Roosevelt.
“No. Your successor is in this room!” said Platt, pointing to Chairman Odell.
Facing this situation, Roosevelt let it be known that he would yield if the convention “took the bit in its teeth” and insisted upon nominating him.
The wisdom of the nomination of Roosevelt as McKinley’s running mate was vindicated at the polls. The McKinley-Roosevelt ticket smothered that of Bryan and his mate, and New York State remained in the Republican column. Senator Platt went down to Washington for the inauguration with the remark:
“I am going to see Roosevelt put on the veil.”
But Platt and the men who thought Roosevelt was safely out of the way were overlooking the fact that Roosevelt’s fortune was in the hand of a greater power than theirs.
Roosevelt’s term as Vice-President proved to be short. He took office on March 4, 1901, and presided over the Senate at the succeeding session. With McKinley and his Cabinet his relations were intimate and cordial.
In September Roosevelt went camping with his family in the Adirondacks. There he received the news of the shooting of President McKinley, who died before the Vice-President could reach his bedside. Roosevelt took the oath of office as President at Buffalo on the evening of September 14.
The new President fully appreciated the deplorable circumstances under which he became the head of the nation. He issued this proclamation: